


Insanity

by live_love_draw_anime



Series: Nursery Rhymes [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Gen, GoM - Freeform, Insanity, Madness, We're All Mad Here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 12:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4920034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_love_draw_anime/pseuds/live_love_draw_anime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Hello. I am Midorima Shintaro.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I like Oha Asa and horoscopes. I also like lucky items. My favorite color is green. And no, before you ask, it is not because of my name.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I am not insane, in fact.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insanity

_'London Bridge is falling down'_

.

.

.

_Hello. I am Midorima Shintaro. I like Oha Asa and horoscopes. I also like lucky items. My favorite color is green. And no, before you ask, it is not because of my name._

_I am not insane, in fact._

Midorima sighed and twirled his pencil around in his taped fingertips. He stared down at the neat kanji carefully written on the otherwise blank journal page. What else?

_Use big words,_ his Watcher, Takao, told him. _You're smart, Shin-chan! It'll help with your memory!_

Midorima placed the tip of the pencil on the paper and began scratching away.

_I have recently developed a passion for basketball. Three pointers are clearly the most efficient way to operate, as they can easily overtake the score of the opposing team, subjugating the opponent to overwhelming loss that may or may not be detrimental to their mental state of being._

_I am not insane, in fact._

Midorima frowned, staring at that last sentence. Somehow, it always boiled down to that. And it was beginning to become quite bothersome.

Ignoring the sudden, sharp stab of pain in the back of his head (something that had been happening for a while now but was steadily growing more frequent) he rubbed it out furiously, pink eraser marks flying.

He scrubbed for a full minute before he was satisfied that he could no longer see the words. Except.

Huh. Midorima's eyes narrowed. He could still see one last pencil stroke where he'd pressed a bit too hard and the character was the slightest bit visible.

That would not do.

His glasses flashing, Midorima snatched up the pencil once again and slammed the eraser aggressively down onto the mark. Steeling his arm, he rubbed viciously back and forth, refusing to let up until the eraser had been worn down to nothing.

He lifted the paper to his eyes, only to let it drop back to his desk in dismay when he realized he'd burned a hole through the page. His face darkened visibly at the fact that his journal entry was now ruined. He'd been quite proud of this one too.

Oh, Oha Asa had been spot on when she'd foreshadowed that Cancers would experience abysmal luck today. Even though he had his lucky item, Midorima sighed, reaching for the small pack of tissues, it apparently hadn't been enough to drive away bad occurrences.

His suspicions were reaffirmed when a loud shout from the hallway followed by pounding footsteps scared the living daylights out of him. Midorima leapt to his feet and threw open his bedroom door to see Kise running down the hall with something soft and blue clenched in his fist, ignoring Momoi's inquiry of "Ki-chan, what's wrong?!"

He flung open his own door and disappeared inside with a slam, obviously hysterical. A stunned Momoi knocked softly on his door, though to no avail. She glanced at Midorima, who only shrugged. "Midorin, what's wrong with Ki-chan?"

Midorima cleared his throat and adjusted his black frames in an attempt to seem unfazed. "I am unable to answer that, Momoi-san. Perhaps he experienced another meltdown?"

Momoi looked alarmed. "Where is Kasamatsu?! Doesn't he know to watch Ki-chan whenever he goes out?"

"Someone call for me?"

Midorima and Momoi both turned to see the black haired, blue eyed man himself, strolling toward them with a sheepish expression on his face. He balanced a sloshing cup of hot coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other. "Sorry, I was on lunch break. How's it going, Midorima?"

Midorima frowned, eyeing the coffee. His head ached. _Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

"I am not insane, in fact."

_'Falling down'_

Kasamatsu nodded briskly, his attention focused on the onion bagel in his left palm. "Still rolling with that, huh?"

Momoi smacked his arm. "Kasamatsu! Quit thinking about food and go see Ki-chan!"

The blue-eyed man grumbled about being unable to finish a meal in peace, but placed his bagel between his teeth and disappeared into Kise's room. Midorima could hear Kise's loud wailing for just a few seconds before the door closed again and all sound was cut off.

Momoi turned to him, smiling warmly. "So, Midorin, how have you been?"

Midorima fiddled with his tissue pack. "I have been fine, thank you. I was just completing a journal."

"Oh?" Momoi continued conversationally as she began walking down the hall. Midorima took the cue and followed after her. "And how has your writing been going?"

Midorima stared at her, his eyes narrowed. Yes, he knew Momoi only meant well when she asked about his progress. But he didn't like when she stared at him with those analytical eyes, those eyes that the doctors had when they took him to a separate room and did scans on his brain and asked him all sorts of questions like 'How often have your headaches been occurring?' and 'How many times has your memory slipped today?'

And when he didn't answer the way they wanted him to, they would send him back to his room, scribbling furiously on their clipboards and whispering among themselves.

Midorima hated it.

_'Falling down'_

"My writing has been going well," he answered cautiously, his guard raised.

"Mm-hmm," Momoi replied, still smiling. She gave him one more curious stare before turning her gaze forward.

Midorima's blood boiled. Why was she acting the same as them? Didn't she know he despised it, loathed it, abhorred it with every fibre of his being? Didn't she know that? Why was everyone so insistent on making him angry?! Why couldn't they leave him in peace?! He was not insane! He was not insane, in fact! _"Don't."_ He began, his voice low and rough. _"Don't give me those looks, don't ask me those questions--"_

Momoi's face expressed alarm as she realized her mistake and quickly tried to backtrack. "No--Midorin, I don't--"

"Ah, Shin-chan!"

A bright, cheerful voice echoed down the hallway behind them. "How are you this fine day? The weather is splendid, how can you stand being indoors? Come, let's have a look outside! A breath of fresh air! A walk in the garden! A--"

"Takao-kun!" Momoi exclaimed gratefully, waving him over. "Hello!"

The onyx haired man grinned slyly as he skipped over to Midorima's side, throwing a casual arm over his shoulders, though it wasn't easy considering his six-five frame. "What up, Shin-chan?"

Midorima shook his head, sighing at the childlike foolishness of his Watcher. "It was pleasant until you arrived, Takao."

Takao beamed. "Ah, charming as always, Shin-chan! Well, whadaya say? A walk in the garden?"

Midorima sighed heavily (he'd been doing that a lot today, hadn't he?) and nodded. He could use the fresh air to clear his head. He and Takao began to walk down the hallway towards the exit of the building, Takao chattering away.

"Hey Shin-chan, you know the new worker who arrived a little while back? Kagami-kun, his name was. He's actually a pretty cool guy. And guess what? He's into basketball. I heard he played for a while in high school before he got the job over here. He's still in school, training to be a psychologist right now. Heard it had something to do with his brother, Himuro Tatsuya, or some name like that."

Midorima nodded, interested despite himself. "What happened with him?" They took a turn to the right.

"Well...that's not really for me to say," Takao replied. "I just happened to overhear it..." He chuckled guiltily, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah look, we're here!" They reached the exit of the building and the black haired boy began to pull the door open.

Midorima shot him a puzzled look. "Where are we going?"

Takao frowned, raising his eyebrows. "To the garden, Shin-chan. You agreed to it a few minutes ago, didn't you?"

"Did I?" Midorima muttered to himself, squeezing the pack of tissues in his pocket. His head throbbed. "Well, I guess it's fine..." He walked out ahead, pretending not to see the concern written all over Takao's face.

_'London Bridge is falling down'_

"Hey, Shin-chan," Takao casually called, jogging to catch up. "Look, don't get too caught up in it. It's just one small lapse." He grinned. "Besides, it's useful when you forget the amount of points you've _actually_ scored in our b-ball games. Lets me win sometimes."

Midorima snorted. "As if. From now on, I will bring a notebook every day to our games to keep score. It will be impossible for you to beat me then."

Takao chuckled and they meandered slowly down the path. For some reason, flowers and vines were strewn about the little stone passageway, as if someone had violently torn them up. Midorima glanced at Takao, who shrugged. "Beats me."

When thy rounded the next corner, however, Midorima received a shock. Lying on the ground before him was the mutilated body of Kurokocchi, Kise's beloved teddy bear. The head was missing, but it was still discernible thanks to its electric blue fur and small cerulean ribbon tied around its right paw.

The new worker, Kagami, knelt beside it, sweeping up bits of scattered cotton and flower petals. He looked up, startled at their sudden appearance. "Eh? Oh, uh...Takao-kun! And...Midorima..."

They had a glaring match for a few seconds, Midorima clearly remembering the loss of his lucky kitchen knife he'd experienced at their first ever meeting. It hadn't left Midorima with a good impression of the redhead.

Kagami backed out first. "So Takao, Kise apparently had a breakdown. He accidentally 'killed Kurokocchi', which was all we could get out of him."

Takao shrugged helplessly. "I suppose we could replace him...Shin-chan, you're always at those kids' stores hunting for your lucky item on your free days. Why don't you pick one up?"

Midorima glowered at Kagami. "No thank you. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll be leaving now. There are far too many idiots in my presence for me to be comfortable."

Takao snickered and Kagami looked livid. "Oi! Brat! I'm four years older than you! Respect that!"

Midorima ignored him, turning on his heel and stalking away. That redhead got on his last nerve. He reached for his pack of tissues, only to find they were no longer in his pocket. He frowned to himself. He was pretty sure he'd brought them with him to the garden, which meant he must have dropped them...back where Kagami was.

Midorima groaned. He was tempted to leave them and head back inside, but he didn't need anymore bad luck today. Huffing, he made his way back down the path, his eyes searching the ground. He was about to round the bend where Kagami and Takao still stood when he caught his name in the conversation. _Shin-chan._

"--getting worse," Takao was saying in a low voice. "His headaches are happening even more frequently and his memory slips way too often."

"So...how long do you think he has left?" Kagami asked quietly.

Midorima froze, his breath catching in his throat. Why hadn't he heard anything about _this?_

There was a pause. Then, "Not very long."

Takao's voice was quiet, resigned. "I haven't told him yet. I don't think I'm going to. He's...god, he's just such a smart kid who would have had so much potential if it weren't for that stupid disease. Sure, he's quirky and weird at times, but..."

Kagami's voice was oddly gruff, like he was holding something back. "And he doesn't know why his headaches are getting so bad?"

"Like I said, I haven't told him," Takao replied. "And I'm not going to. He's going to enjoy what little time he has left without anything to worry about. All he has are a few months."

Midorima's body was numb, as if he'd been doused in ice. His ears were ringing, his vision clouding, and he felt as though he might pass out. He had to get out of here. He didn't want to see Takao or Kagami, didn't want to look into the eyes of someone he used to trust.

He forced his body into motion, padding away silently back through the garden, tissues forgotten. He wished he could stay frozen and unfeeling, but as he pushed his way through the doors to re-enter The Institute, he couldn't keep unwanted thoughts from entering his mind.

He was going to die. In three months. Maybe two.

_Who cares, anyway,_ Midorima thought miserably. He wasn't particularly close to any of his fellow companions in The Institute, save for the few games of shougi he'd played with Akashi. Kise, Murasakibara, and Aomine just irritated him. The only one he was able to put up with was Kuroko, and the frail, depressed boy had died a while ago.

And as for Takao...

He didn't want to think of Takao at the moment.

_I should have known,_ Midorima thought bitterly. _I should have realized my time was coming to a premature end. It happened to Kuroko. It'll probably happen to all of us soon enough. Kise might even do something drastic, now that he's gone over the edge._

_Why didn't Takao_ tell _me?!_

He was so angry, so furious with the black haired man. His single emblem of trust had abandoned him, the person who he thought he could rely on indefinitely had hidden information from him.

Why had Takao _lied?_

All these times, telling him it was alright, telling him that his memory lapses were nothing to fret about, telling him that he could always count on him for anything.

But this news was devastating, not the fact that he was going to die, but the fact that Takao had withheld something so important. It hurt, cutting into him, sharp and painful.

"I am not insane, in fact," Midorima whispered to himself when he reached his room. He sat down on his bed, slowly, tentatively. "I am not insane."

But _god_ , he was aching, his chest tight and raw, his heart about to split open. His throat closed up and hot liquid pooled in the edges of his vision. His head felt clouded, heavy, and it seemed he couldn't formulate a single coherent thought.

_"I am not insane, in fact."_

Why? Why was this world so full of betrayal?

Akashi had grown distant.

_"I am not insane, in fact."_

Takao had abandoned him.

"I..."

"I..."

"I _am_ insane, in fact."

Midorima fell back onto his bed, his hands clutching his head as another agonizing wave of pain ripped through him. He couldn't remember anything. He didn't care. He didn't want to remember anything.

_Oh god, it hurts--_

His bedroom door creaked slowly open, the sound barely registering in Midorima's hazy consciousness. A black haired man steped inside, his face bright and easygoing. "Shin-chan! I--"

Midorima glanced at him, fighting back the splitting pain in his skull. "Who are you?"

At that, the black haired man's smile melted away. His stunned expression seemed frozen on his face. When he next spoke, he seemed to be choking on his words. "Sh-Shin-chan, don't you remember me...?"

Did he know him? His face seemed familiar, but he couldn't possibly conjure up a matching name.

"I don't know you," Midorima told him cooly, and something in his brain snapped.

"I've never seen you before in my life."

_'My fair lady.'_

_._

_._

_._

_London Bridge is falling down,_

_Falling down,_

_Falling down,_

_London Bridge is falling down,_

_My fair lady._

**Author's Note:**

> Next up is Aomine...I'm having way too much fun with this (:  
> Comments and kudos are welcome! Love you guys who've been keeping up with this series!


End file.
